By Daniel Reeder Breach-Bang-Clear
More than a couple of interesting little gadgets have popped up in the industry over the years, especially in the world of AR-15 accessories. We've seen things from ball sack foregrips to can cannons, but this one is different, and I want to know if it works. We're talking about the Freedom Ordnance crank trigger today; it's all about bringing a little bit of Gatling gun magic to a modern-day Gat.
What is an AR-15 Trigger Crank?
At its core, the FG-15 is a manually operated trigger actuator. In simpler terms, it's a crank that you attach to your AR-15. When you're ready to shoot, you just telescope the crank handle out, and each turn fires off a shot. It has a three-position telescopic handle that goes from “Safe” to “Neutral” to “Fire.” Like I said, a little bit of Gatling in our modern day.
Freedom Ordnance is serious about the quality of this product as well. I have yet to get my hands on one, but they've mentioned that they didn't hold back with the quality in more than a few places where they've spoken on the product. Its insides are made with nitride 4140 steel machined components, twin stainless Japanese ball bearings (not sure what that means, but it sounds cool), a hardened S7 trigger striker pin, and more.
The FG-15 is also supposedly pretty adaptable; it's designed to work well with most “AR/SR pattern rifles.” They even mentioned in an Instagram post that Bushmaster, Aero Precision, and Daniel Defense are compatible rifles. They mentioned in the same post that it's not a permanent install and is pretty easy to attach. “Basically, any AR-15 type firearm that has a 1/4-28 thread pitch for the grip screw will accept the FG-15 grip.”
The Legality
Now, this is one of those legal grey areas where it may not always be a thing, so keep that in mind. We originally heard about this gadget from Tactical Sh!t, and they have a section of an ATF ruling plastered anywhere they post this thing.
“ATF and its predecessor agency, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), have historically held that the original, crank-operated Gatling Gun, and replicas thereof, are not automatic firearms or machineguns as defined. See Rev. Rul. 55-528, 1955-2 C.B. 482. The original Gatling Gun is a rapid-firing, hand-operated weapon. The rate of fire is regulated by the rapidity of the hand-cranking movement, manually controlled by the operator. It is not a “machinegun” as that term is defined in 26 U.S.C. 5845(b} because it is not a weapon that fires automatically. “
It is worth a look, especially if you collect interesting attachments for your favorite blaster. If you're interested, Tacticalsh!t has them in stock and runs sales often, including at the time of this writing. It's sturdy, easy to use, and, most importantly, keeps things legal while letting you have some fun on the range. If you end up picking one up, let us know!
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